Page 11 of Calling Chaos (Demon Bound #3)

10

Chaos

C haos batted at the thick, soft hotel pillows with his tail. He was happily curled up on the bed next to his puppy, each of them with their own laptop. Cooper had brought two to the hotel, one for each of them. Thoughtful as always.

After that first night in the hotel—when Cooper had so agreeably let Chaos practice being gentle with his mouth—they’d spent all day yesterday and last night switching off between exploring outside (for Chaos) and “work time” (for Cooper), where Cooper attended to Ivan’s tasks for him and Chaos played video games while wishing various deaths upon Ivan for taking up so much of his puppy’s precious time.

So far Chaos had been many different characters, had shot and exploded things with abandon, and had even been a little goose with a knife, causing a delightful amount of mayhem. It was all surprisingly entertaining, considering he’d been in bed for all of it.

Much, much more entertaining, however, were the four other blow jobs Chaos had given Cooper, each as titillating as the first.

Who had known sucking on an appendage and not biting down could be so delightful?

Chaos hadn’t exactly been lying when he’d told Cooper he needed to practice being gentle with a human mate. Mating for him had always been some furious clash of bodies, each partner searching for their own release with no thought to the other’s welfare or pleasure. It also hadn’t been something Chaos had participated in often—sex wasn’t one of his primary drives, not like Nix. Chaos could go for a long, long time without finding the urge particularly overwhelming.

But he also hadn’t realized just how intriguing it could be, to have someone like Cooper gasping and trembling under his touch, yearning under Chaos’s searching mouth. Chaos found himself thinking about it even when it wasn’t happening, his cock filling at the funniest times. Aching for more.

Aching for his mate.

Chaos had officially decided after that very first time with his mouth around Cooper’s cock—Cooper was the human for him. It was part of why it was so fun to mark Cooper in his spend afterward, which Cooper always agreed to eagerly, whether it be on his belly, chest, or face. Chaos didn’t tell Cooper, but every time he coated Cooper with his cum, he was secretly saying, Mine. My human. Marked and claimed.

He giggled to himself at the thought.

Cooper glanced over with a little smile. “Having fun over there?”

He looked fond, which he did more and more these past few days when looking at Chaos. It turned out sex and close proximity were very good for bonding. Chaos couldn’t have planned this little interlude better if he’d tried. It almost made him want to thank Ivan for making Cooper run away. Almost.

Except there was one teeny, little problem: the longer they stayed in this hotel, the more anxious Cooper was becoming. Orgasms didn’t seem to be enough to fix it, nor did Chaos politely playing video games while Cooper worked.

Chaos let his giggle trail off, narrowing his eyes at Cooper instead. It was time to get to the bottom of this. “Why are you afraid right now?” he asked.

Cooper’s eyes widened in surprise at the shift in tone. “What?”

“Every hour we stay here, you become a little more afraid. It’s not because of me.” Chaos pouted a little at the thought. It wasn’t that he wanted Cooper to be terrified of him. That would have ruined their fun. But he didn’t want anyone else to have that power over his dear puppy either.

“Well…” Cooper pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, clicking something on his computer and then shutting the laptop to focus on Chaos. “I guess it’s knowing that the longer I avoid Ivan, the more pissed he’s gonna be when I see him again.”

Ugh. Ivan.

Cooper was afraid of this human—his cousin and his employer—and Chaos didn’t like it. It was okay when Cooper was a little nervous around Chaos, because Chaos knew he wasn’t going to do anything to hurt Cooper. Not really. But this Ivan…

Chaos flexed his talons. He could feel his eyes changing colors as he battled his rage. It wouldn’t do to have a fit. Not now. “Why do you work for mobsters when they scare you?”

He’d been wondering. Cooper wasn’t the type, as far as Chaos could tell. His soul piece didn’t contain any greed or bloodlust inside it, and his technological skill set could surely have been used elsewhere, considering how much the modern world seemed to run on computers.

Something soft and sad pulsed from Cooper as he cleared his throat. “My dad,” he said quietly. “We came here from Russia when I was a baby. He and my mom wanted a fresh start, but my mom died when I was little, and after that he…” Cooper rubbed at his arm, as if to soothe himself. “Well, he had trouble holding on to a job. When he heard that his brother-in-law, Dimitri, had made a name for himself in the mob…”

Cooper shrugged, but the sadness wafting from him didn’t ease. “He offered himself up. But he was too much of a mess, and Dimitri asked for me instead. Someone small and unassuming to run errands without drawing attention. My dad was going to refuse, but I knew we needed the money. So I started working for Dimitri when I was still a teenager, and then when Ivan took over, he started using me for what I actually do best.”

Chaos frowned, trying to sift through the emotions roiling around the room. He couldn’t tell if Cooper was sad because he was thinking about his dad or sad about the circumstances surrounding him coming to work for Ivan. This was where Nix would have come in handy. He knew humans better than Chaos did.

But Cooper was Chaos’s human, so Chaos would have to muddle through.

“You could leave,” Chaos offered. “I’d protect you.”

Cooper didn’t say anything. Maybe he didn’t believe that Chaos could protect him. At least not forever.

Because he still thought Chaos was leaving one day.

Chaos pouted, shoving the laptop off his lap with a huff. He turned to Cooper. “If we were to give the Book back to him, would you be less afraid?”

Cooper scratched at his neck sheepishly. “It would be one problem solved, sure.”

Chaos considered as he stared at his human, amused at the way even that little bit of attention turned Cooper’s cheeks pink.

Cooper wasn’t ready to commit to a bond yet; even Chaos knew enough to know that. And when he was ready, it would be easy enough to get the Book back from this Ivan fellow. And Chaos would most likely get to see Nix in the process. It would be good to see his friend. Plus, if Nix had convinced the human he was with to bond…

Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to see what that looked like in person.

Chaos dug Cooper’s cell phone out of his pocket, offering it over. “You may call him. Ivan.”

After a moment of hesitation, Cooper reached for the phone. “Yeah?”

“But if he tries to harm you…,” Chaos warned, miming swiping at Ivan with his claws.

He was oddly pleased when, instead of cowering in fear, Cooper rolled his pretty eyes. “Please don’t disembowel my cousin.”

Chaos decided to pretend he hadn’t heard. He couldn’t make any promises, anyway. It was all up to Ivan, really.

Cooper stared down at the phone in his hand for a moment, then sighed, sliding it into his sweatpants pocket. “We should head back to the apartment first. He’ll want it right away.” He glanced at Chaos, nibbling at his lower lip. “Ivan is very…possessive of his things. If he summoned his own demon, he’s not going to be happy that I did the same.”

As if summoning Nix was anything akin to summoning Chaos. Silly humans. Still…Chaos rose onto his knees. He’d had an exciting thought. “I could pretend to be human! That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”

Cooper eyed him, his gaze darting first to Chaos’s spread wings, then to his tail, then somewhere around his hairline, where his horns peeked out. “I think that’s probably a…bad idea?”

Chaos ignored that too, leaning forward to nuzzle his head into Cooper’s neck instead. He placed a kiss there—he liked the way Cooper shivered when he did. He’d like to suck him again, since it had already been hours since the last time. But it would be more satisfying when Cooper wasn’t distracted by worry over his cousin.

And if Ivan caused any problems…

Well, then it wouldn’t matter what Ivan did anymore, because Chaos would burn him down to a crisp.

Chaos had an ongoing list of things that were not fun, and waiting for things to happen went right toward the top.

A little anticipation was one thing, but after too long, it became boring.

Boring, boring, boring, boring.

Like right now, waiting for Ivan in Cooper’s apartment. Because Cooper had been wrong about needing the Book on hand right away—his cousin hadn’t come running the second he’d called after all. They’d been waiting for hours now.

They didn’t know why either. The phone call between Cooper and Ivan certainly hadn’t been very informative. From what Chaos had overheard, it had been mostly awkward and strange, with Cooper acting a bit like a loon. Chaos would have found it funny if Cooper hadn’t been so nervous talking to the man.

And now Cooper was pacing, nibbling on his fingers like he never allowed Chaos to do, getting more anxious by the minute. He wouldn’t even let Chaos soothe him with his touch and his mouth, muttering something about, “If I’m interrupted by Ivan mid-blow-job, it’ll ruin sex for me forever.”

Rude.

That was what it came down to. Rudeness. This Ivan was rude and annoying, and not in the good, fun way Chaos was. Having Nix at his side had clearly done nothing to teach the man about the importance of respecting a demon’s time.

Not that Ivan knew Chaos was here. Still. Who said Chaos had to be logical about it?

Would Ivan bring Nix with him, when he came to ruin all Chaos’s fun? Chaos had a feeling he would. If Ivan and Nix were looking to bond, they wouldn’t want to be apart while the mortal half of their duo was still vulnerable.

Speaking of…

“Don’t go thinking any lusty thoughts while Nix is here,” Chaos warned Cooper from his cross-legged position on the coffee table. “He can smell them.”

His words stopped Cooper’s pacing in its tracks. “Why would I—”

“He’ll meddle if he scents anything,” Chaos muttered darkly, annoyed at the very thought of it. “He’s an incubus, he can’t help it.”

Chaos would be shutting that part of himself—the part that looked at Cooper even now and wished to see him writhing and whining underneath him—right off the very moment Nix arrived. In that sense, it was probably good Cooper wasn’t letting Chaos use his mouth to soothe him. The place would reek of sex if they were interrupted. It wouldn’t take an incubus to scent it.

Chaos and Nix were friends, it was true, but Nix also had a soft spot for humans. He’d see someone like Cooper and assume he needed protection from Chaos. With the contract in place between Cooper and Chaos, there wasn’t much Nix could actually do about it, but it would be…tiresome to have someone try to keep Cooper from him.

And again, not in the fun way.

“I want your sweatshirt,” Chaos said suddenly.

Cooper paused the pacing he’d resumed, his fingers falling from his mouth. He looked down at his chest. “The one I’m wearing?”

“Yes.” Chaos reached out a hand for it. “Maybe if I smell like a human, I can fool Nix. That would be entertaining.”

Nix hadn’t seen all Chaos’s human forms, after all. Who was to say Nix would recognize him?

“Um.” Cooper pushed up his glasses as he looked Chaos over. “You know your face looks the same, right? Whether you’re in your demon or human form—it’s identical, either way.”

Chaos waved his outstretched hand, dismissing Cooper’s concerns. “Details, details.”

Chaos didn’t actually care how unlikely fooling Nix was. That was part of the fun of playing any game—there was inherent thrill in the possibility of losing, just as much as in the possibility of winning. Anyone who felt otherwise was playing for the wrong reasons.

Cooper handed the sweatshirt over with a sigh, and Chaos grinned, tugging it on before cocking his head, listening closely. He could hear footsteps in the apartment hallway, followed by the murmuring of voices, one of them very familiar.

Sure enough, there was a knock on Cooper’s door the next moment.

Cooper made a sad, strangled sound and headed toward the door to undo all his many locks.

Chaos stayed right where he was. He was fast enough to interrupt any danger if Ivan tried something against Cooper. And he could see the door from where he was, although at the moment any sight of what was on the other side was blocked by Cooper.

“Ivan,” Cooper greeted.

A cold voice answered him. “Cooper. Where’s the demon?”

Oh no, no. Chaos didn’t like that tone. And not even a hello? No hug for Ivan’s lonely, touch-starved cousin? (Never mind that Chaos would have thrown him off the moment he tried.)

Rude, just as Chaos had thought.

“No demons here!” Chaos called out from his perch on the coffee table. He was pleased when Cooper laughed, even if it was an awkward, nervous sound.

Cooper opened the front door wider, stepping to the side to reveal both Ivan and Nix, who was beaming at Chaos. Maybe he wasn’t fooled by the sweatshirt after all. It didn’t matter at the moment—Chaos was distracted by his own perusal of Cooper’s mean cousin.

They looked nothing alike.

Ivan had none of Cooper’s shy mannerisms or interesting features. He was maybe handsome, if someone was looking for a block of ice made sentient. He had white-blond hair, pale skin, and an expressionless face.

Boring, boring, boring.

Chaos cocked his head at Cooper, who was standing to the side now and nibbling at his fingers again, and Cooper drew closer to Chaos, anxiety wafting off him.

Ivan scared Chaos’s puppy, even with Chaos here to protect him. It wasn’t life-or-death fear, but Cooper clearly didn’t want to disappoint the man.

“Ivan, meet our chaos demon,” Nix announced.

Chaos shot him a pout. “No demons here,” he insisted. “I’m just a mortal, human friend of Cooper’s here.”

If Cooper hadn’t summoned any demons with the Book, then Ivan would have no need to be angry with him. And if Ivan wasn’t angry at Cooper, Chaos wouldn’t have to kill the man for scaring his puppy.

Chaos was saving lives with his little game here, and no one was appreciating it.

Ivan pinched the bridge of his nose. “How—”

And then Cooper spilled the beans before Chaos could say anything at all, his words coming out in a rush. “I was uploading the ledgers you gave me. I wasn’t quite sure why you wanted that old, weird book with them, but I didn’t want to miss it if you needed it, so I did it anyway, and then it just kind of…happened.”

Whatever Ivan felt about that didn’t show on his face. “You summoning a demon just kind of happened,” he repeated.

“Yes?”

“And where is the Book now?”

“I still have it.”

“I should fucking hope so,” Ivan snapped.

No. Nope. Nuh-uh. Chaos didn’t like it. Not the tone, not the language, not the look in Ivan’s icy eyes. Chaos hopped up, standing in front of Ivan in an instant. He felt Nix edge closer, and Chaos shot him a warning glance, stopping his dear friend in his tracks. Ivan might not realize he wasn’t the biggest predator in the room, but Nix did.

“Hi,” Chaos said to Ivan because he could be polite for Cooper’s sake, even when the other person was a rude icicle creep. “You’re scaring Cooper.”

“Chaos,” Nix warned.

Chaos ignored him.

“I didn’t intend to scare him,” Ivan said slowly. “I’m simply…irritated.”

How funny Ivan should use that word. Irritated . What did this man—this human —know of irritation? He thought he had some idea because he’d lost his Book for a few measly days? Chaos was the one who was irritated. Locked in the Void for centuries, nothing to do but watch and wait. Stuck there as demon after demon completed their contracts and were set free. Finally summoned again, graced to find his perfect puppy, only to have his bonding time interrupted by this mean. Cold. Man.

“Irritated…,” Chaos repeated. He cocked his head, imagining the perfect slice of his talons through Ivan’s mortal belly. Or better yet… “If I set that suit of yours on fire with you inside it,” he asked, the flames’ pull already tingling at his fingertips, “do you think you’d be more or less irritated?”

“Chaos,” Nix tried warning again. And then, “Bracchus.”

It was strange, the way Chaos’s true name sounded wrong now coming from the lips of anyone but Cooper. He turned to look at Nix—his friend’s eyes were beseeching. “I’m rather fond of this one,” Nix said, none of his usual teasing or flirting or sly little innuendos. “I’d like to keep him in top condition.”

And there was something in his words, something true and genuine that not even Chaos could ignore. Nix wasn’t looking for a bond just to free himself. He liked this human. Enough to stay with him forever.

That was…unexpected.

Chaos loved unexpected.

“Oh.” Chaos released some of his rage, allowing his inner flames to bank and cool. “Why didn’t you say so?”

He felt a rush of fondness for his friend, who’d tried his very best to entertain and distract Chaos through the painful boredom of the last centuries. The two of them may have been thrown together by circumstance, but their bond was real.

Chaos had maybe gotten a bit of Cooper-focused tunnel vision and forgotten to be a good friend to Nix.

Oopsies.

He smiled brightly. “Hello, Nix. You could tell it was me?”

And then he threw himself into Nix’s arms for a hug, his last, lingering irritation soothed away by Nix’s quiet “Hello, sweets.”

Chaos would let the mean cousin live. At least for now.